Hamilton County GOP chairman Pete Emigh has announced he will resign from his position effective Thursday.

Emigh has served as the county chairman since January 2011, but his five-year tenure ruffled some feathers within the Republican Party. Some Republicans have accused him of acting as a behind-the-scenes kingmaker who directed money and expertise to favored candidates in primary races.

Emigh could not immediately be reached. In a written statement to Republicans, Emigh said he planned to spend more time building his business and with his family. Emigh is an independent broker for OneAmerica, the largest provider of 457 public retirement plans in the state.

In the statement, he said his goals as chairman had been to ensure Republican candidates were successful in local elections and to deliver strong vote margins from the county in statewide and national elections.

"Hamilton County continues to be a stronghold for Republican values, and that shows in the quality of the elected officials in our county," he said in the statement.

Emigh and former Executive Director Andrew Greider were criticized by some party members after they helped form private political action committees to steer money to specific primary candidates they favored in races against other Republicans.

Neither PAC is active today. Before the May primary, Emigh ceded control of the Shamrock PAC to the son of Westfield Mayor Andy Cook, who then donated more than $99,000 to his father. About $37,000 from the Shamrock PAC was transferred to a new PAC that remains active, HCL PAC.

Emigh also was criticized for managing employee retirement accounts in Carmel, Noblesville and Westfield valued at nearly $70 million — all cities whose mayors he has backed financially through a PAC.

Emigh and Greider have said they are acting as private citizens, not as party officials using party resources, when backing candidates with the two PACs. Emigh has said his job has had no influence on whom he supports in races.

Greider resigned as executive director in November to take a private sector job. He was replaced by Greg Lannan, who had been the county's deputy director.